Getting Started with Claude Skills
Claude Skills are folders of instructions that Claude loads when a task matches them. Instead of re-explaining the same procedure in every conversation, you install a Skill once and Claude picks it up when the situation calls for it.
What a Skill actually contains
At minimum, a SKILL.md file with two things:
- YAML frontmatter giving the Skill a name and a description.
- Instructions — the guidance you want Claude to follow.
The description is not decoration. Claude decides whether to use a Skill by comparing your request against it, so a description that names its trigger conditions beats a broad claim every time.
Installing a Skill from this directory
Every skill page shows an install command you can copy. Most skills here are published as plugin marketplaces:
- Find a skill that matches what you are trying to do.
- Copy the install command from the skill page.
- Run it in your Claude surface.
- Start a new session so the Skill is read.
If a skill is published as a plain folder instead, copy it into the skills directory your surface reads.
Choosing between similar skills
Compare three things: the description, the source repository, and the last update.
Popularity is a weak signal in this directory. Most skills come from curated collections, so a repository's star count measures the collection rather than any single Skill inside it.
When a Skill does not fire
Nine times out of ten it is the description. If it is vague, or claims to do everything, it competes badly against a request that is specific. Name the trigger conditions, restart the session, and confirm the file is in the directory your surface actually loads.
Where to go next
- Browse the directory by category or tag.
- Read the FAQ for installation and troubleshooting.
- If a Skill you rely on is missing, submit it.